quizbowlfandomcom-20200213-history
Intro to Quiz Bowl
This page contains all introductory information about quiz bowl. What is Quiz Bowl? Quiz bowl is an academic competition, typically between two teams, that uses a lockout buzzer system. Most quiz bowl formats involve two teams of four players, playing about twenty rounds of toss-up/bonus questions, though many local or specialized tournaments deviate from this. Some rounds are timed, usually to last approximately twenty minutes. Quiz bowl covers a variety of topics, with history, geography, literature, fine arts, science, philosophy, mythology, current events, pop culture, and sports being the most common. Some specialized forms of quiz bowl exist, usually adopting modified rules, often to play a more individually oriented game. These include History Bowl/Bee, Science Bowl, and Geography Bee. How to Play Quiz Bowl Most forms of quiz bowl use the toss-up/bonus format, which consists of a toss-up question read aloud to both teams at once, followed by a bonus question set read to whichever team correctly answers the toss-up. Toss-ups The toss-up question is usually a few sentences in length, and any player can buzz in during the question if he or she wants to guess the answer. If the player is correct, his or her team earns points and is read the bonus set. The number of points received depends on the timing of the player's buzz. If the correct answer is given before a specific point (usually denoted with an asterisk in the question), the team receives a power (fifteen points), but if the answer is given after that point, the team receives ten points. If the player's answer is incorrect and the question is still being read, his or her team receives a neg, losing five points. To better understand this concept, read the following toss-up. One character from this novel returns home from London to propose to a woman, only to find she has married his late sister’s widower. Another character from this novel becomes rich as a convict in (*) Australia and decides to fund a boy who once gave him food, drink, and a file. The boy’s benefactor, Magwitch, is originally believed to be an old widow, Miss Havisham. For 10 points, name this novel featuring the drawn-out relationship of Pip and Estella, a work by Charles Dickens. Answer: Great Expectations Source: Dylan Tynes If the toss-up is correctly answered before the word "Australia" is read, the team of the player who buzzed earns fifteen points. Any later correct buzz would result in ten points. Any incorrect buzz before the word "Dickens" would result in the player's team receiving a neg. Once a player buzzes incorrectly, the rest of the question is read for the other team, and they can buzz at any time without fear of a neg. Other players on the incorrect buzzer's team cannot buzz. In addition, no conferral between teammates is allowed during a toss-up. Bonuses The team that correctly answers a toss-up is then read a series of bonus questions, usually three. The questions are typically related to each other, but not to the toss-up. Conferral between teammates is allowed during bonuses, and answers generally come from the team captain without the use of a buzzer. Answers can be given at any time for ten points each.